Overview information about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder can be found by following the links at the bottom of the webpage.
"People with FASD have, by definition, differences in their brains. They have a physical disability. Their only symptoms may be seen in primary and secondary behaviors. Thinking about behaviors as a symptom of a physical disability expands options for developing effective parenting and professional techniques.
Dr. Sterling Clarren tells the following story that captures what this means for caregivers and professionals. When visiting the library of the Center for Disease Control, he noticed that in each of the sections on physical handicapping conditions, the support literature focused on changing environments to meet the needs of those with physical challenges. Arriving at the section addressing behaviors, he was struck by how all the information in this section focused on changing behaviours.
What if behaviours are symptoms of a physical disability? Trying to change behavioural symptoms of this disability may be as effective as beating the blind child who 'refuses' to read the blackboard. Providing environmental adaptations for people with behavioural symptoms of a physical disability is as appropriate and effective as for people with other, more obvious, physical symptoms" (Malbin, 2002, pp. 16-17).
One of the biggest barriers to achieving regulation for people with FASD is negative public attitudes. In the Alberta Education document Re: defining success: A team approach to supporting students with FASD (2009), the following mental shifts about student with FASD are suggested as way to support their learning:
From won't to can't.
From bad or annoying to frustrated or challenged.
From lazy or unmotivated to trying hard and tired of failing.
From lying to story telling to compensate for memory.
From fussy to hypersensitive.
From acting immature to developmentally younger.
From trying to get attention to needing contact or support.
From inappropriate to displaying behaviours of a younger child.
From not trying to exhausted or can't get started.
From mean to defensive or hurt.
From not caring to unable to show feelings.
From refusing to sit still to overstimulated or overwhelmed.
From resisting to doesn't get it or lacks understanding.
From trying to annoy me to can't remember.
From showing off to needing contact or acceptance.
From stopping behaviours to preventing problems by identifying what students need.
From beaviour modification to modeling and using visual cues.
From changing people to changing environments.
From teaching one way to teaching many ways many times. (p. 10)
Strength-based learning strategies support student regulation. It is important to recognize that "primary strengths may erode if they are not recognized and encouraged. For example, if an athlete is prevented from playing sports because of low academic marks, his skill is devalued and the focus instead is on his deficits. This deficit model effectively gives the message that the person's strengths are not important, learning the person defined by the deficit rather than by his or her strengths" (Malbin, 2002, pp. 36-37). This potentially erodes at a student's sense of self-efficacy and can have a negative impact on several of the regulatory domains. When working with a student with FASD, it is important to find and foster his/her strengths. Strengths and talents that often stand out for students with FASD include music, singing, playing instruments, composing, art, crafts, spelling, reading, computers, mechanics, woodworking, welding, electrician, mechanics, writing and poetry (Malbin, 2002, p 37). Strength-based characteristics that are often seen in students with FASD may include creativity, strong long-term visual memory, friendly, loyal, loving, eagerness to please, determined, contextual/concrete learning, working with hands, learning by doing, learning through relationships, visual and kinesthetic learning, perservation (Mablin, 2002, pp. 37-38).
Being aware and managing environmental factors will also support regulated learning for students with FASD. Students with FASD may have difficulty processing the large amounts of stimuli that exist in the environment. They may need support with eliminating some of this stimulation. Students with FASD may also have difficulty processing the characteristics of the environment such as culture, nonverbal language, body language, emotions of others, effects of bias and prejudice, attitudes, values and beliefs. This potentially will create barriers in all domains of regulation. (Malbin, 2002, pp. 40-41).
Neurological Information
"Alcohol is a very small molecule that passes freely into the placenta and fetus when consumed during pregnancy. It eliminates some cells, changes normal migration of cells, reduces the number of neuropathways, or connections between cells, alters neurochemistry, and reduces myelination of the axons,among others. In some cases, entire portions of the brain may be affected. Different structural and functional changes reflect which part of the brain was developing during the time of exposure. Memory, sensory responses, executive functioning and planning, processing speed, social and developmental growth and abstracting abilities are often affected.
Neurobiological differences often appear as:
slower processing speed (thinking, hearing)
problems storing, retrieving information
"gaps", difficulty forming links, associations
difficulty generalizing
abstraction is difficult
difficulty seeing next steps, outcomes
disconnections: says one thing, does another
grasps pieces rather than concepts
With FASD there is often undergrowth, overgrowth, gaps and tangles. Because of fewer cells, brain structure and chemistry may be altered, affecting basic cognitive abilities and sensory responses. Disorganization in the brain may mean that the brain has to work harder to achieve simple tasks. For one person, a task may be as tiring as going for a five-minute stroll. For another person with FASD that same task may require the same energy as performing a triathlon.
PET scans are able to show which parts of the brain are working on a task. If two children are asked to perform the same task, a small part of the brain of the control subject might "light up" while nearly the entire brain of the child with FASD would light up. Alcohol causes disorganization in the brain, requiring greater effort to accomplish tasks. This often show up in irritable behaviours" (Malbin, 2002, pp. 19-20).
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Overview information about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder can be found by following the links at the bottom of the webpage.
"People with FASD have, by definition, differences in their brains. They have a physical disability. Their only symptoms may be seen in primary and secondary behaviors. Thinking about behaviors as a symptom of a physical disability expands options for developing effective parenting and professional techniques.
Dr. Sterling Clarren tells the following story that captures what this means for caregivers and professionals. When visiting the library of the Center for Disease Control, he noticed that in each of the sections on physical handicapping conditions, the support literature focused on changing environments to meet the needs of those with physical challenges. Arriving at the section addressing behaviors, he was struck by how all the information in this section focused on changing behaviours.
What if behaviours are symptoms of a physical disability? Trying to change behavioural symptoms of this disability may be as effective as beating the blind child who 'refuses' to read the blackboard. Providing environmental adaptations for people with behavioural symptoms of a physical disability is as appropriate and effective as for people with other, more obvious, physical symptoms" (Malbin, 2002, pp. 16-17).
One of the biggest barriers to achieving regulation for people with FASD is negative public attitudes. In the Alberta Education document Re: defining success: A team approach to supporting students with FASD (2009), the following mental shifts about student with FASD are suggested as way to support their learning:
Strength-based learning strategies support student regulation. It is important to recognize that "primary strengths may erode if they are not recognized and encouraged. For example, if an athlete is prevented from playing sports because of low academic marks, his skill is devalued and the focus instead is on his deficits. This deficit model effectively gives the message that the person's strengths are not important, learning the person defined by the deficit rather than by his or her strengths" (Malbin, 2002, pp. 36-37). This potentially erodes at a student's sense of self-efficacy and can have a negative impact on several of the regulatory domains. When working with a student with FASD, it is important to find and foster his/her strengths. Strengths and talents that often stand out for students with FASD include music, singing, playing instruments, composing, art, crafts, spelling, reading, computers, mechanics, woodworking, welding, electrician, mechanics, writing and poetry (Malbin, 2002, p 37). Strength-based characteristics that are often seen in students with FASD may include creativity, strong long-term visual memory, friendly, loyal, loving, eagerness to please, determined, contextual/concrete learning, working with hands, learning by doing, learning through relationships, visual and kinesthetic learning, perservation (Mablin, 2002, pp. 37-38).
Being aware and managing environmental factors will also support regulated learning for students with FASD. Students with FASD may have difficulty processing the large amounts of stimuli that exist in the environment. They may need support with eliminating some of this stimulation. Students with FASD may also have difficulty processing the characteristics of the environment such as culture, nonverbal language, body language, emotions of others, effects of bias and prejudice, attitudes, values and beliefs. This potentially will create barriers in all domains of regulation. (Malbin, 2002, pp. 40-41).
"Alcohol is a very small molecule that passes freely into the placenta and fetus when consumed during pregnancy. It eliminates some cells, changes normal migration of cells, reduces the number of neuropathways, or connections between cells, alters neurochemistry, and reduces myelination of the axons,among others. In some cases, entire portions of the brain may be affected. Different structural and functional changes reflect which part of the brain was developing during the time of exposure. Memory, sensory responses, executive functioning and planning, processing speed, social and developmental growth and abstracting abilities are often affected.
Neurobiological differences often appear as:
With FASD there is often undergrowth, overgrowth, gaps and tangles. Because of fewer cells, brain structure and chemistry may be altered, affecting basic cognitive abilities and sensory responses. Disorganization in the brain may mean that the brain has to work harder to achieve simple tasks. For one person, a task may be as tiring as going for a five-minute stroll. For another person with FASD that same task may require the same energy as performing a triathlon.
PET scans are able to show which parts of the brain are working on a task. If two children are asked to perform the same task, a small part of the brain of the control subject might "light up" while nearly the entire brain of the child with FASD would light up. Alcohol causes disorganization in the brain, requiring greater effort to accomplish tasks. This often show up in irritable behaviours" (Malbin, 2002, pp. 19-20).